


The Arena

by clizziem



Series: Don't Smile at Me [6]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coming Out, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Protective Azula (Avatar), zukka - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:01:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28476585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clizziem/pseuds/clizziem
Summary: When Iroh wakes up, he almost forgets why there’s so much tension in his back and shoulders. But then he hears hushed voices in his house for the first time in years and everything comes rushing back.Hearing his niece’s voice for the first time in three years.Seeing his nephew beaten and exhausted and clinging to a stuffed toy Iroh’s son had given him.The hospital.The pile of legal papers Ozai had sent along with all of his children’s stuff that he had to sign to gain full custody of them.Iroh drags a hand down his face and sighs. He needed some tea.Iroh on his new experience with single parenthood.
Relationships: Azula & Iroh (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Don't Smile at Me [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2079291
Comments: 12
Kudos: 393





	The Arena

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, y'all! Happy New Year! Let's hope 2021 is slightly better than 2020.  
> Here's a little new years gift for you! I'm also super dr*nk while typing these notes and hashtags so let me know if I'm missing anything

When Iroh wakes up, he almost forgets why there’s so much tension in his back and shoulders. But then he hears hushed voices in his house for the first time in years and everything comes rushing back.

Hearing his niece’s voice for the first time in three years.

Seeing his nephew beaten and exhausted and clinging to a stuffed toy Iroh’s son had given him.

The hospital.

The pile of legal papers Ozai had sent along with all of his children’s stuff that he had to sign to gain full custody of them.

Iroh drags a hand down his face and sighs. He needed some tea.

It’s still early so he walks downstairs quietly and heads into the kitchen to find Azula already there. Standing by the sliding glass door to the backyard watching the sunrise. She turns around when Iroh enters and then turns back.

“Good morning,” Iroh says. “You’re up early.”

“Not really. I wake up this early for school every day.”

Iroh glances at the oven displaying a green 6:30 and then heads to the cupboard. “You know I do not expect you to go to school today. I realize it’s a Monday but after the day you had yesterday, there is no shame in staying here for a couple of days.”

Azula frowns and holds the mug Iroh didn’t realize was in her hands tighter. “But…we’d fall behind.”

Iroh sits down at the kitchen table and gestures for Azula to sit down. She hesitates for a moment but then joins him. “I mean, obviously Zuko needs to stay home for a day or two, but I’m perfectly fine I could-”

Iroh holds up a hand. Azula stops speaking. “I highly doubt you are ‘perfectly fine’ after what you heard and witnessed yesterday. But I also understand your dedication to your academics. It’s your choice, but I would urge you to take at least just today off. Rest a little bit and adjust to the house. You deserve it, too, Azula,” Iroh says gently. His niece twists her mug around and stares at the table.

“Okay,” she finally murmurs. “Just today.”

Iroh smiles and gets back up to put the kettle on. “Did you sleep well?” He asks. Azula shrugs.

“Well enough, considering.”

Iroh nods and steps away from the stove. “Would you like some tea?” He asks. Azula shakes her head.

“I prefer coffee,” she says shyly.

“Understandable,” Iroh says. “You were a high energy child.”

Azula chuckles under her breath. “Yeah. Mom said that too,” she adds a little bitterly.

Iroh remembers how Ursa never seemed to understand her daughter. Azula had a lot of energy, a lot of wit, and was considered something of a prodigy. It may have gone a little bit to her head. Even though she and her brother had always been close, there was a pretty long period of time where Azula was a bit of a bully. Ursa didn’t really know how to handle it, so she didn’t pay enough attention to her daughter.

He’s not quite sure how to reply but it turns out he doesn’t have to. Zuko hobbles into the kitchen on his crutches and looks at Iroh. Azula frowns and stands up.

“What the hell are you doing?” She asks. Zuko flinches and curls in on himself a little.

“We have school,” he mumbles.

Azula rolls her eyes. “You’re staying home for a couple of days, dum-dum! You have to rest and heal up a bit!”

“What you sister means to say,” Iroh interrupts. “Is that I thought it would be best if you both took a couple of days off to recover from what happened last night.”

“Oh,” Zuko says quietly. He stares down at the floor. “Can I go back to bed?”

“Come on,” Azula says gently. “I’ll help you back up.” Zuko smiles and they head back towards the stairs.

Iroh sits down with a cup of tea and sighs again. His heart aches at how exhausted and scared his nephew looks. Iroh doesn’t know much about what his nephew’s life was like after Ursa left, just what he has gathered from yesterday and how few of the things Ozai left at the house belonged to Zuko.

Azula’s stuff took about six boxes.

Zuko’s took one.

There were only a handful of clothes, a couple of books, and school supplies.

The signs of neglect are blatant through that box. His clothes are worn and faded. One of the two pairs of pants is riddled with holes.

Azula comes back down a moment later and puts her mug in the sink. “Would it be alright if I took my stuff upstairs?” She asks, gesturing to where Iroh put the boxes in the living room.

“Of course,” Iroh nods. “You do not need to ask that.”

Azula nods, her eyes distant.

“I do have to ask you something,” Iroh says. Azula whips around. “Do those clothes fit your brother?”

Azula scoffs. “No. They’ve been too small for like a year.”

Iroh nods gravely. “Thank you, my dear.”

Azula grabs a box from the living room and heads upstairs. Iroh drops his head in his hands and takes a deep breath.

He has his work cut out for him.

Azula goes back to school after two days. Zuko admits to Iroh that he’d like to take some time off during dinner the day before Azula goes back. Iroh arranges a week off for him with their school and life settles down.

Zuko sleeps most of the day but he comes down around noon to find Iroh in the living room.

“Good afternoon, nephew,” Iroh says, careful not to sound condescending. He doesn’t want to think about the things Ozai would have done if Zuko woke up this late around him. 

“Hi,” Zuko murmurs and sits down on an armchair. “I-I wanted to thank you for the...the new clothes.”

Iroh and Azula had gone out one night after Zuko had gone to bed with a reasonable guess about his sizes and picked up some new shirts and jeans. Azula placed them in her brother’s dresser to avoid making any kind of fuss about it.

_ “He won’t accept them if we act like we did it for him.” _

_ “We did.” _

_ “I know. But Dad threw away anything anyone gifted to him. He won’t know how to accept them. Or he’ll think he can’t accept them. Just let me put them away without saying anything.” _

“It was my pleasure, nephew.”

Zuko wrings his hands. “How...how much do I owe you? I-I can find a job or something to work for whatever amount you spent I know you-”

“Zuko,” Iroh interrupts calmly. “I don’t want you to pay me back. I bought those for you because I wanted you to have clothing that properly fits you.”

“But...But he-” Zuko starts to say with that terrified look in his eyes that only comes up when Ozai is mentioned.

“When you live in my house,” Iroh says. “You do not need to pay or earn the basic things you need to survive. And that includes having clothes that fit.”

Zuko stares at his hands and sniffs. Iroh’s heart falls again. When did the boy start crying?

“I don’t understand,” Zuko mumbles.

“I know you don’t,” Iroh says gently. He gets up and crouches down in front of his nephew. “But I hope someday you will.”

A day later, Iroh’s front doorbell rings around five and Azula gets up from her calculus homework and goes to answer it. 

The door opens and Azula hesitates for a moment before saying, “Sokka?”

“Yes… we’ve met! Many times! I’m in your math class!” A boy responds.

Iroh looks over as Zuko whirls his head around towards the door with the most adorable pink blush on his cheeks.

“Right, sorry. I have trouble remembering names and faces,” Azula says and lets him in. “of people I don’t care about,” she adds under her breath.

“What?”

“Nothing. You here for Zuko?”

“Um, yeah. I know you already picked up his homework but I just wanted to come to check on him.”

Iroh frowns at how nervous Zuko suddenly looks and how quickly he gets up from the table and hobbles over to the front door. Everyone starts speaking in hushed tones that Iroh can no longer decipher.

He doesn’t get to see Sokka. And Zuko and Azula don’t reappear to him until dinner.

Azula eyes him warily and Zuko stares at his plate but doesn’t even pick up his fork. Finally, Iroh breaks the silence.

“Did you have a good visit with your friend, Zuko?” He asks. Zuko jumps hard enough to shake the table. Azula glances at her brother and then back at Iroh. Both of them are radiating tension.

“We-We’re not friends,” Zuko says quickly. Too quickly. Azula takes a shuddering breath. Zuko’s own breathing continues to increase and Iroh starts putting things together. He stands up and Zuko flies to his feet and backs away. Azula starts to rise when Zuko cries out and collapses onto the floor. Iroh kneels beside him and puts a hand on his shoulder.

“Nephew,” Iroh says slowly. “Is Sokka a little more than a friend?”

Zuko furiously shakes his head and starts to cry. Iroh rubs a hand down his arm in a way similar to what Ursa would do for him when he got overwhelmed. “Would you like him to be?” Iroh asks. Zuko buries his head in his hands and sobs.

“Yes,” he whispers. So quietly that Iroh can barely hear him.

“I see,” Iroh says. “Are you afraid I am going to hurt you over it?”

“Dad did,” Zuko mumbles. Iroh buries his rage at that tiny little statement with years of meditation practice and patience.

“Nephew, I will never hurt you. Especially not over who you love.”

Zuko just cries for a little bit but it feels different this time. More like relief than pain and fear. Azula settles down and her entire body sags.

Iroh wants to throttle his brother.

Zuko goes back to school after one week. It’s the first time Iroh has been completely alone again since his niece and nephew moved in but it’s like he has a purpose again. He washes dishes from their breakfast together, gets an ice pack ready for Zuko in the freezer, and gets the tea water boiling just in time for the front door to open.

“‘Zula, please calm down,” Zuko’s gentle voice pleads.

“No! Who does that fuckwad think he is? What makes him think he has the right to-” Azula breaks off when she enters the kitchen. Iroh raises an eyebrow. Zuko comes in with puffy eyes and a red cheek. In the distinct shape of a hand.

Iroh strides over and holds his nephew’s neck. “Who did this?” He asks.

“Some asshole named Jet,” Azula answers. “I think Dad’s company fucked his family over or something.”

“He hit you?” Iroh asks Zuko. He nods and then breaks free of Iroh’s hold to go sit down. Iroh looks to Azula. “Did he hurt you?”

Azula holds up her right fist. Her knuckles are bruised. “Didn’t get a chance to,” she says with a smirk. Iroh gives her a look.

“I will not condone violence in this household,” he says and hands Zuko a mug of tea. “But good girl.” 

Azula laughs and sits beside her brother. “I won’t do it again,” she says. “I promise.”

After Zuko’s cast comes off and he can walk normally again, Iroh puts him to work at the Jasmine Dragon. He would rope Azula in, but she made it clear she didn’t want to work there and Iroh doesn’t want to force her.

Zuko takes to his job like a duck to water.

At first, he’s overwhelmed by the customers and fearful of Iroh whenever he doesn’t know how to do something. But Iroh gently guides him through the routines and Zuko learns quickly.

It might also help that Sokka and his friends often come to the shop. Maybe he shouldn’t, but Iroh loves watching Zuko with Sokka. His inhibitions vanish and Iroh almost gushes at his nephew’s attempts at flirting.

It’s all still new and some of it is frightening.

It’s still getting better.

**Author's Note:**

> There should be at least one more part cuz I'm a slut for zukka first kisses and I haven't given ya that yet :)


End file.
